Is mowing your lawn a chore? It is for most people, but it’s still one of those necessary jobs! Keeping a lawn neatly mown also encourages the grass to grow and keeps weeds at bay.
Plus, it will keep your neighbors happy, too, as nobody likes to see a lawn that has been left to get out of control. The major problem with mowing lawns is the time it takes and knowing how often it should be done and when is also important. Then there’s your lawnmower: have you got the right type to make it as easy as possible?
In this article, we are not going to talk about the different types of a lawnmower, but we are going to be focusing on one type, as it’s about mowing your lawn in winter. Now not everyone will have to do this, but some will, and it may be that you find a lawnmower with high wheels to be of help. Let’s have a look at what these machines are all about and what you need to know about mowing the lawn in winter.
Should I Mow My Lawn in Winter?
In most places, mowing a lawn in winter is not necessary, but there can be exceptions to this rule. This is because grass begins to grow in the spring and is most active during summer, and the growth rate slows in the fall. In winter, grass lies dormant except in a few places. However, you will need to mow your lawn on either side of winter. Late fall will prepare it for the winter, and early spring when it starts to grow. It’s at these times that the mowing can be a problem, especially with wet ground.
Another problem is the uneven terrain. Not everyone is fortunate to have a perfectly flat lawn. In rural areas, for example, it is not unusual to have a lawn that is on a gradient or that is uneven in places. As with a wet or boggy lawn, this can present a problem for mowers of some types.
This is where the high-wheeled lawnmower enters the equation. You may not have used one of these machines, but they are designed for a specific purpose – for use on uneven and difficult ground. We’ll look at them in more detail and then talk about some tips for mowing the lawn.
What is a High Wheel Lawn Mower?
Without getting into too much detail, a high wheel lawn mower is just that – a mower with high or larger wheels than normal. What’s the purpose? The idea is that bigger wheels will allow for easier movement over uneven ground and less in the way of damage to the lawn. This makes a lot of sense, and in practice, it does work. Many people use high wheel mowers to deal with areas that have bumps or gradients with great effect and find them a welcome break from the usual.
They are also useful if your lawn has rocky areas that can’t be dealt with and on soft ground, such as you will find at the beginning and the end of winter. However, they do come with some drawbacks, one of which stems from a necessary design feature. In order to accommodate the larger wheels, the manufacturers have been forced to push the engine and other components forward. This creates a weight bias towards the front. It also makes tilting the machine to the rear more difficult when turning around.
However, many users find this a small price to pay for a mower that is better than usual models on rough terrain and in winter conditions, and the high wheeled mower is becoming more popular. Now, let’s go back to our tips on mowing the lawn in winter.
Some Useful Tips
The general rule is that once grass stops growing at the end of fall, it can be left until the spring. If there is a mild winter, however, the grass may continue to grow, in which case it can be mown. The main point to remember is not to mow it too short as it will become bare, and this leaves areas where the weeds may take hold when the warmer weather returns.
You may be surprised how quickly this happens, so do take care.
Further tips on cutting the lawn include always cutting when as dry as possible. Even with a high wheel mower, there is a possibility of damage to the grass if you try and mow when wet.
Looking at the US weather forecast for winter 2020, it would seem that the weather is going to be milder than usual, so you can expect perhaps rain in quite a few places. Check your lawn now and see whether it’s ready for one final trim before winter really sets in.
